The Regimen Supplies Guide

When choosing a cleanser

Be aware of irritating and comedogenic ingredients.

Avoid:

Soap. Soap will dry and irritate the skin. A tell-tale sign of whether something is soap is a lack of an ingredient list. Soap manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on the package.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS). SLS strips the skin, damaging its protective barrier, and introduces irritation. Avoid it altogether.
Sodium Laureth Sulfate. Not as big of an offender as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate should still be avoided if it is one of the first 3 or 4 ingredients in a cleanser. If it is far down in the list of ingredients, it should be okay.
Scrubbers. Scrubbing beads, seeds, shells, sugars, or anything else that is made to “scrub” the skin is the last thing inflammatory acne needs. Scrubbing irritates the skin and should be avoided at all cost. Unless you have only non-inflammatory acne, the kind that never gets red and is under the surface of your skin, or unless you only get blackheads, avoid scrubbers entirely.
Scents. Some fragrances tend to irritate some people, and some do not. If you are sensitive, you may want to avoid scented products.
Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristal Myristate, Laureth-4. See below for a complete list of ingredients to avoid.

Look for:

The words "gentle," "non-overdrying," "for dry, sensitive skin," and similar words alluding to the gentle nature of the cleanser.
Glycerin, a moisturizing ingredient, is often included in non-overdrying cleansers, and is a welcome addition to an ingredient list.
Use cleanser made specifically for the face.

Men:

Try using the lather from your cleanser as your shaving cream. You can choose either a foaming liquid cleanser (the best option) or a gentle bar (less expensive per use, but not as gentle).

From Dan: "The four adequate foaming cleansers I have found on most store shelves include:

Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
Olay Foaming Face Wash (Sensitive)
Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (note: this is nearly identical to Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser and made by the same company, but is more expensive)

The four bars which which I have found safe to use are:

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Antibacterial
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar"

Women:

Liquid cleansers are best. However, if you are on an extremely tight budget, a bar can be less expensive per use.

From Dan: "The six liquid cleansers I have found on most store shelves which seem to work well for most people include:

Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
Olay Foaming Face Wash (Sensitive)
Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (note: this is nearly identical to Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser and made by the same company, but is more expensive)
Netrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Wash

The four bars which I have found safe to use are:

Basis Sensitive Skin Bar
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Antibacterial
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar"

When Choosing a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide must be 2.5% strength.

Avoid:

10% benzoyl peroxide, 5% benzoyl peroxide. 5% may be used if no 2.5% is absolutely unavailable to you, but will cause more dryness and irritation than 2.5%.
Alcohols. Alcohol can dry and strip the skin.
High levels of moisturizing ingredients. You want benzoyl peroxide to be in a neutral base. Part of why benzoyl peroxide works so well is because it is a drying and peeling agent. Too much moisturizer in the formula may prevent some of this drying and peeling from taking place.
Other active ingredients. When you start adding in other active ingredients, that means you’re adding in an external variable. Once you’re completely clear, you can feel free to add in 1 variable at a time such as another active ingredient. If you stay clear, you’re good to go. If you break out from the new variable, you’ll have a good idea that it’s the culprit.
Fragrance. Some fragrances tend to irritate some people, and some do not. Avoid if possible.
Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristal Myristate, Laureth-4. See below for a complete list of ingredients to avoid.

Look for:

Gel based benzoyl peroxide. Cream based benzoyl peroxide tends to turn white when you perspire. This can cause embarrassment at times. Also, cream based benzoyl peroxide can be harder to apply since it dries so quickly. Gel based benzoyl peroxide gives you more time to apply and also does not turn white when you perspire.

A note on prescription benzoyl peroxide:

Some prescription benzoyl peroxide can be okay to use. If you can buy a 2.5% prescription benzoyl peroxide for an extremely low price, this may be an option for you. Just follow the above suggestions when looking through ingredients since even some prescriptions include highly comedogenic ingredients, and feel free to ask the pharmacist to go over it with you.

Benzoyl peroxide may also be available over-the-counter at your HMO pharmacy. From Dan: "I used to be a member of Kaiser Permanente and they sold 2.5% benzoyl peroxide at their pharmacy."

If buying on store shelves:

Neutrogena On-The-Spot is the only widely available 2.5% benzoyl peroxide on store shelves in the United States. It is cream based, which is not ideal, but it should still work. It comes in small .75 ounce tubes, so try to find it on sale and stock up big time. You’ll eventually be using lots of benzoyl peroxide, so you’ll need many, many tubes if getting your benzoyl peroxide this way.

When choosing a moisturizer

Be diligent when checking labels.

Without SPF:

Avoid:

Most oils with the exception of jojoba oil (which is actually an extremely welcome ingredient), macadamia nut oil, and mineral oil. Some other oils may be safe as well, but generally it’s a good idea to avoid oils other than jojoba, macadamia nut and mineral oil.
Thick and greasy moisturizers. Moisturizers and creams that are too thick and greasy tend to clog pores. Plus, when a moisturizer is thick, it can be harder to apply gently.
Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristal Myristate, Laureth-4. See below for a complete list of ingredients to avoid.

Look for:

Moisturizers made specifically for the face.
The word "non-comedogenic" on the label.
Jojoba oil as an ingredient if possible.

If buying on store shelves:

It’s very difficult to find a great moisturizer on store shelves. Some people find that these options work well for them:

Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. Takes care of flakiness well. However, it contains the combination of Cetearyl Alcohol and Ceteareth-20 as the 3rd and 4th ingredient, which rates a 4 out of 5 for pore clogging in rabbit ear assays when this combination is used.
Complex 15. Contains Mysristyl Myristate, a highly comedogenic ingredient, but as the 12th ingredient. Requires jojoba oil with each use for full moisturization.
Lac-Hydrin Five. Contains AHA, so not for use at the onset of The Regimen. Wait 4 weeks before use.
Neutrogena Moisture Oil Free Formula, Combination Skin. Can tend to produce a "sweaty" feeling throughout the day, but uses safe ingredients.

With SPF:

Avoid:

Most sunscreens. Sunscreens are often by their very nature oily and greasy products.
Isopropyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Myristal Myristate, Laureth-4. See below for a complete list of ingredients to avoid.
I have not found any good SPFs other than Oil of Olay Classic Gentle Formula (see below), and Philosophy Hope In A Jar.

Look for:

From Dan: "The only two SPFs which I have found that work well (and I have tried them all!) are:

Olay Complete All Day UV Moisturizer - Sensitive Skin". Mix with 5-6 drops of jojoba oil to increase moisturizing capabilities.
Philosophy Hope In A Jar. Nice feel, but most be mixed with 5-6 drops of jojoba oil or mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with a more powerful non-SPF moizutirizer to handle dryness after benzoyl peroxide application. Very expensive."

See acne.org/reviews for reviews from acne.org members of drugstore products. Keep in mind, however, that not all of the reviews are from people who are using the products while on The Regimen.

Comedogenic ingredients list

Comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients are rated from 0-5 with 5 being the most comedogenic. Below are the most offending ingredients with a rating of 3 and above.

Guide to buying drugstore products

When choosing a cleanser

Avoid:

Look for:

Men:

Women:

When Choosing a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

Avoid:

Look for:

A note on prescription benzoyl peroxide:

If buying on store shelves:

When choosing a moisturizer

Without SPF:

Avoid:

Look for:

If buying on store shelves:

With SPF:

Avoid:

Look for:

Comedogenic ingredients list